Big box meat companies

Tomtint · Nov 13, 2025

Has anyone had good luck with the online meat companies who deliver to your door in bulk ?
A couple years ago we got 500.00 or more worth of meats from Back Yard Butchers when they were touring the Tractor Supply lots in our area... Long story short.. It all went in the dumpster.. it was absolutely awful.
I have started seeing another company advertising on TV now for meat delivery.. Don't want to get burned again.. But we are trying to get a stockpile for the winter when we are in our RV for a couple months.

WM75Guy · Nov 13, 2025

I was recently gifted a box of Omaha Steak products. We got steak, hamburger patties, chicken, and hot dogs. We also got 2 bottles of their seasoning. The beef seemed to be prime cuts and were really good. We just had the hot dogs a couple of nights ago, kept well in the freezer. The cuts of steak are small portions, like 4 to 5 ounces before cooking. That would be my only complaint.

D&D · Nov 13, 2025

My local butcher has "bundle" deals, are you sure none of yours don't? (vacuum packing into smaller quantities may be extra)

No local butchers around here that I'm aware of, but we do have a small independent supermarket that periodically offers meat bundles. Never broken down the price to see if you really save anything this way.

Omaha steaks strikes me as one of those places you go when you need to give a gift to someone you have no idea what to buy them. A little pricey for most budgets in any quantity.

D&D · Nov 13, 2025

Oaktree said:
No local butchers around here that I'm aware of, but we do have a small independent supermarket that periodically offers meat bundles. Never broken down the price to see if you really save anything this way.

Google shows some in the area, not sure about how close.

ponytug · Nov 13, 2025

@Tomtint I'd look around for a local butcher that would sell you half a steer? Have you tried Boston Halal market to see what they would charge you? Or the place out in Groton? (Blood market?) There used to be a place in West Cambridge, but I can't remember the name, out beyond Porter square.

All the best, Peter

MossRoad · Nov 13, 2025

We used to buy beef by the side and split it with our in-laws. A side by ourselves was always too much. So if you have some friends, consider going halvsies on a half.

Torvy · Nov 13, 2025

When I go up north, I try to get my cousin to sell me a side of beef. He runs about 1000 head. They use a local butcher for family sales. Most of them are sold at market.

Ultimately, they (and a lot of those med-large operations) would like to see more local/regional meat processing plants.

The big 4 meat processors keep cattle prices low and beef prices high.

LHF2019 · Nov 13, 2025

The amount of boxes I see coming through UPS the meat/produce can't be the worst or they wouldn't survive. But highly doubt they are a savings of any sort.

I don't know what all is in the box but these are a new comer in the last several months. Big boxes and a pain to load because they take up so much space and can't double stack except in one area of one of my trucks.

I think you would be surprised by how much seafood boxes I see. Omaha steaks and the butcher box? are by far the most common.

WinterDeere · Nov 13, 2025

Tomtint said:
Has anyone had good luck with the online meat companies who deliver to your door in bulk ?
A couple years ago we got 500.00 or more worth of meats from Back Yard Butchers when they were touring the Tractor Supply lots in our area... Long story short.. It all went in the dumpster.. it was absolutely awful.
I have started seeing another company advertising on TV now for meat delivery.. Don't want to get burned again.. But we are trying to get a stockpile for the winter when we are in our RV for a couple months.

We still have a few local farms that have their livestock butchered, and stock bulk boxes of higher quality grass-fed and organic meats, and I'd be surprised if you couldn't find the same in your area with a little digging. Short of that, companies like Omaha have built their whole business on offering better than supermarket quality in bulk, they wouldn't be in business if they delivered less than "good".

MossRoad · Nov 13, 2025

We're fortunate to have two very good butcher shops nearby.

Torvy · Nov 13, 2025

I've had Omaha Steaks a few times. (Wife got a gift from work once with a cooler of their products) Imho, it isn't worth the money. Maybe I'm comparing to stores in beef-raising parts of the country. Maybe in NYC or similar, the store beef isn't good and it would be worth it.

I think it became trendy, much like having the 'right' brand of jeans.

It's not bad meat, but just not anything special to me.

Torvy · Nov 13, 2025

MossRoad said:
We're fortunate to have two very good butcher shops nearby.

The local butchers here are good for what they do. I just wish they had more variety, especially with sausages. One thing I miss about where we lived in WI. I need a German butcher.

WinterDeere · Nov 13, 2025

Torvy said:
I've had Omaha Steaks a few times... It's not bad meat, but just not anything special to me.

Agreed, that was my assessment, as well. But since the OP was trying to find an alternative to one that was distinctly bad, Omaha is at least a "known good" source. Maybe nothing deserving of the premium price, but usually reasonably good quality, guaranteed.

MossRoad · Nov 13, 2025

Once in a while my wife gets gifts and specials from Omaha, so we order because it's free. From what we've had, they are pretty good. Just expensive.

MossRoad · Nov 13, 2025

Torvy said:
The local butchers here are good for what they do. I just wish they had more variety, especially with sausages. One thing I miss about where we lived in WI. I need a German butcher.

The only sausage we get from the butcher is Dyngus style Polish sausage. A local supermarket makes it pretty well, too.

etpm · Nov 13, 2025

MossRoad said:
The only sausage we get from the butcher is Dyngus style Polish sausage. A local supermarket makes it pretty well, too.

What's Dyngus style? Does it have a foreskin? I mean some guys have a Dyngus with one and some don't.
Eric

Torvy · Nov 13, 2025

Which was first, the sausage or the nickname. I'll bet the sausage.

Jstpssng · Nov 13, 2025

Torvy said:
The local butchers here are good for what they do. I just wish they had more variety, especially with sausages. One thing I miss about where we lived in WI. I need a German butcher.

Make your own sausage. It really isn't that difficult if you do it in bulk.

A few years ago a member posted about making potato sausage. I'd never heard of it but sounds interesting if I get a deer this fall.

etpm · Nov 13, 2025

I make my own sausage, several different types. But I make mostly breakfast sausage and Italian sausage, hot and mild. I got frustrated with inconsistent results and started weighing all the ingredients. Then I made a list of ingredients and weights per pound of spices and etcetera, like salt. Now my sausage comes out the same every time. This reminds me, I have a 17 pound pork shoulder in the freezer just waiting to be ground into sausage. Wintertime is perfect for making sausage, keep the house cool and the meat stays cool too. I need to put the shoulder in the fridge to thaw.
Eric